Fatal Attraction
by Journal3Cipher
Summary: When Dipper starts being haunted by nightmares, he knows there's only one being who could possibly be behind them. Takes place at some point in Season 2 after Sock Opera. (This story does contain a relationship between Bill and Dipper. Just so you know.) Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1: Sleepless Nights

_But know this... A darkness approaches. A day will come in the future when everything you care about will change. Until then, I'll be watching you! I'll be watching yooooooooooouuu..._

Dipper rubbed his eyes, suppressing a yawn. It was nearly three in the morning and he was exhausted. He lay awake in his bed, unable to fall asleep.

Dipper pulled the covers up over

his head, turning to face the wall.

Just a few hours... Anything.

Dipper had been more than a little sleep deprived recently. He often found himself struggling to keep his eyes open or even stand upright during the day. Of course, Grunkle Stan hadn't allowed him to take any breaks, so he'd barely had a moment's rest.

As he tried to drift off to a dream where maybe things would be a bit better than they were in real life, Dipper's mind actually became more and more active.

Memories raced through his brain, laced with little broken, incomprehensible thoughts.

He had to get to sleep.

No, sleep was impossible.

Dipper eventually found himself returning again to the thought of the dream demon that he tried so often to block out. The triangle had said that he had "big plans coming." He was after the journal and was intent on keeping the Pines twins in the dark about whatever larger conspiracy was happening in Gravity Falls.

But why? What was he planning, and what role would the Pines family play in all of it?

It was so hard to try to predict what Bill Cipher's end goal really was. He was just so hard to read, to understand, and he possessed so much power. He seemed to know exactly where to strike so that you would feel so close and yet so far to the answers.

The boy had been tricked by the demon the last time they had met. It was all a bit of a blur after the show, really- Dipper had been rushed away to a hospital and had woken up a few days later back in the Mystery Shack, not exactly sure of what had happened.

But the glowing yellow of those reptilian eyes set where his should have been remained fresh in his mind.

Sometimes Dipper would be able to fall asleep for a while, but he was always visited by nightmares and would wake feeling completely unrested. Other times he wouldn't sleep at all for fear of his dreams.

But one thing was for sure- Bill was watching and scheming, and would not leave any time soon.

Dipper couldn't do anything without his thoughts wandering back to the dream demon. He was almost obsessed.

Mabel hadn't known how right she was when she had said that.

Dipper glanced over his shoulder at his twin sister, who was deep into a dream of her own. She looked so peaceful, muttering occasionally but otherwise remaining completely still. She looked so... Content.

Contentment. That was something that Dipper hadn't felt in a long time.

The boy rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling of the attic. He felt his eyes flutter shut, but they shot open again mere moments after. He couldn't force himself to fall asleep, not when he knew of the impending horrors that would surely arise as a result. No matter how tired he was, he couldn't allow himself to go through that yet again.

Dipper decided instead to go out for a walk. The woods surrounding the Shack always helped calm him down, even when he knew about all the mysterious and often dangerous secrets they contained.

He grabbed his journal from off the bedside table as he walked past. He wasn't going to risk anything happening to it while he was gone.

He knew there was someone else who wanted it.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Dipper leaned back against the trunk of an oak tree and sighed. Dawn was beginning to break, and the sunrise had started to spill its colors over the tops of the mountains.

Dipper didn't know where he was. He had just walked on, eventually losing himself entirely in thought and not even watching where he was going.

He had been gone for a while. It had been dark when he had left. He decided that it was time to go back; Mabel would start to worry if she woke up and he was gone. She hadn't forgotten the puppet show incident either, and was intent on keeping Dipper safe.

Slowly, Dipper got to his feet and trudged off in what he thought was the direction of the Mystery Shack.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

When Dipper finally made it back to the Shack, it was about half an hour until it opened for business. He shoved the screen door aside and shuffled into the gift shop area, feeling rather like a zombie, more dead than alive. Any blissful and soothing feelings he had obtained from wandering in the woods had vanished as soon as the building came back into view.

He passed his sister, who was sitting behind the front desk playing with Waddles.

"Hey, Mabel," he practically whispered. She looked up, then bolted around the edge of the desk and trotted alongside him as he made his way into the area marked "Employees Only."

"Hey, bro-bro. What's up?"

She noticed the bags under his eyes and the glossed-over look they bore. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just need some rest. And breakfast." His stomach growled, and he headed towards the kitchen.

Mabel skipped after him and took a blender out of a cupboard. It contained some sort of pink, shimmering liquid and was labeled "Mabel Juice." Dipper shuddered. He knew what his sister had in mind.

"No, Mabel, I'm not going to drink any of that."

"C'mon, Dipper! You need something to wake up; we have to go out today, remember?"

Oh, right. Stan had run out of glue to make his stupid attractions, and was apparently going to be too busy to go into town and buy some more. Hordes of tourists were starting to gather outside the Mystery Shack, eager to enter and throw away a few hundred dollars while they were at it.

Mabel poured the concoction into two cups and slid one across the table to her twin brother. She guzzled hers down in a matter of seconds, but Dipper couldn't bring himself to push his away. Lethargy had taken control over his entire body, slowing his movements and slurring his thoughts.

Seeing that Dipper was clearly not in the mood at all for the Mabel Juice, Mabel took his cup and gulped it down herself. Then she ran to the pantry and brought out a box of cereal.

As she raced around the kitchen, humming to herself and preparing breakfast for the two of them, Dipper wondered for the millionth how she managed to possess so much boundless energy. Mabel hadn't been having nightmares, he supposed, but it still seemed ridiculous.

That was the thing about Mabel- she remembered all their misadventures, but was never haunted by them afterwards. Dipper could never let go. Those experiences were like shadows that had latched onto him, weighing him down and corrupting his spirit.

Bill was the worst of all.

The boy's focus snapped back to reality when his sister set a bowl of cereal down in front of him. He once again tried to find enough energy to move his arms, but couldn't.

Eventually, though, hunger won out over exhaustion and Dipper choked down his breakfast with considerable effort.

"Well, let's get going." Mabel proclaimed about five minutes later as she finished off the last of her cereal. She grabbed Dipper's wrist and dragged him from his chair, through the Shack, and out the door into the morning air.

The sun hadn't reached its peak yet, and the sweltering heat that came with each July day was still a few hours away.

Nevertheless, the trip into town passed very slowly. Dipper was forced to move along by his sister, struggling to maintain his balance as he was pulled behind her. He was barely aware of anything besides the distant sensation of his heels skidding along the ground and Mabel's tight grip on his wrist.

How long had it been since Mabel's disastrous puppet show? Days? Weeks? Months? Dipper was losing track of time, and even beginning to lose his hold on sanity. Each morning he would wake from the terrors he knew were caused by the triangular dream demon with a heavy feeling in his chest and an emptiness shrouding his soul from the light. He was filled with constant numbness, inside and out, but also knew that the whole thing was breaking his heart and his mind. He was beginning to buckle. Soon he would shatter, and no one would ever be able to put him together again.

Fingers snapped in front of Dipper's face, bringing him back to the world.

"Hello? Earth to Dipper?" It was Mabel, her expression full of concern. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just... Really tired. Don't worry. Everything's fine." He replied, giving her a weak smile.

But he was lying, and they both knew it.

Hey, readers! I kinda forgot to leave an author's note at the beginning.

Anyway, I was working on another fanfiction (a Reverse Falls one) but there haven't been many comments, so I don't know if I'm going to continue that one...

Even if I do, though, I had an idea for this one and decided I'd try it out. This one I will continue no matter what, unless I go into a creative slump, so expect an update every couple nights or so.

Thanks!

~ Three


	2. Chapter 2: Visit

Welcome back, readers. I'm glad you all seemed to enjoy Chapter 1. Just a note: the majority of this chapter actually takes place in Dipper's dream.

I'm not sure how long this fanfiction is going to go on, so I'll get back to you all on that one whenever I get a general idea. Also, constructive criticism is something I really appreciate, so feel free to leave a comment with any suggestions for me in the future.

I'd like to apologize for the lack of an image for this story. I haven't been able to find one that I'd like to use, but I'll keep digging.

Thanks!

~ Three

After a day of trudging around town with his sister in the blazing July heat, Dipper was feeling exhausted. He nearly whimpered with relief when the Mystery Shack came back into view.

Mabel threw open the door and skipped into the gift shop, not affected at all by the weather and sporting another one of her countless oversized sweaters. The last tourists were starting to migrate out the door, and Stan was counting the money in the cash register. He looked up when he heard the twins enter, but then dismissed them quickly and returned his focus to the day's profits.

Dipper yawned and tried to walk into the Employees Only area, tripping over his own feet and wandering aimlessly in different directions as his vision struggled to keep up with him. Eventually, he found the door and weakly pushed it open.

Dipper stumbled up the stairs, crossed the attic, and collapsed into his bed, panting heavily. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky, but it wasn't even close to being dark yet.

Still, Dipper decided to test his luck. His eyelids fluttered shut and he was pulled into what he hoped wouldn't be yet another agonizing nightmare.

_Dipper walked along a trail in the forest. It was completely quiet, except for some sort of eerie animal call he heard in the distance. He couldn't quite tell what time it was, or which direction he was headed in. Was he lost?_

_Suddenly, he stopped mid-step. The path he was on had led to a clearing with a single tree in the middle of it. Dipper was taken over by an urge to rest here. He cautiously approached the tree and sat down in front of it. _

_Everything was peaceful and calm. Dipper thought he might actually be able to get more than a few hours of sleep tonight. _

_Wait... Something was wrong. There's no way it was going to be that easy for him. Nothing was ever this easy._

_This was a trick._

_The boy shot to his feet and looked around anxiously. He had the sensation that he was being watched, and he knew just who it was._

_"Bill,'" he said aloud. _

_As if on cue, a strong wind blew threw the clearing, rustling the branches of the tree and lifting Dipper's hat off the top of his head. The whole world was drained of its color._

_And then Bill appeared directly in front of him, and he let out a shriek. _

_"You called, Pine Tree?"_

_He smiled down at the boy, who stared back at him in shock. _

_He looked different than he usually did. Instead of a pyramid, he was now a tall teenager wearing a golden suit, black dress pants, and black shoes. He had yellow-blonde hair that stuck out in several directions and was combed down over his right eye (assuming he had one). The uncovered one was an icy blue and had a sort of devious look in it. He was sporting his usual top hat, bow tie, and cane._

_"Well, well, well. Hello there, Pine Tree. Long time no see, huh? How have you been?" Bill leaned forward, a broad grin spread across his face. _

_"Wha... What are you doing here?"_

_"I just came to visit my favorite human meat bag in the world," Bill said, placing a gloved hand on Dipper's cheek. The boy smacked it away and looked the demon in the eye._

_"Don't touch me," he snapped, surprising both of them._

_"Oh, I've made you angry! How adorable!" Bill clapped his hands together and straightened himself again. "So tell me, Pine Tree. What have you been up to lately? How's Shooting Star? How's that search of yours going?"_

_When he didn't receive a response from the younger, he lashed out and grabbed his wrist._

_"Ow! Let go!"_

_"I asked you a question, kid," the demon replied in a singsong voice, digging his fingertips into Dipper's skin. It hurt a surprising amount, considering the gloves._

_"You know how I've been, Bill. Why have you been giving me these nightmares?"_

_"I told you. You're my favorite. You're fun." He pulled the boy closer to him so that they were inches apart. _

_Dipper flushed and flailed around, trying to wrestle his arm out of Bill's grasp. _

_Bill smiled as Dipper made his pathetic escape attempt, then yanked down on his arm and made him drop to the ground without warning. The demon pinned the boy's legs down with his own and kept a tight grip on his wrists. _

_"I do hope you've forgiven me for our last meeting, Pine Tree. It was nothing personal, just business. We can't have you interfering with my plans, now can we?" Bill laughed, and Dipper cringed, turning his head so he didn't have to look at the demon holding him to the ground._

_"Are you still mad at me, Piney?" Bill pouted, one hand grabbing Dipper's chin and forcing him to look forward again. The boy thrashed around pointlessly, eliciting a low chuckle from the other._

_"Oh well. You'll come around eventually, I suppose. Until next time, my little Pine Tree. Tell Shooting Star I said hi!" _

_Bill planted a surprisingly cold kiss on Dipper's forehead, flashed the younger boy one last little smile, and was gone from sight._

"Dipper! Dipper! Hey, bro, wake up!"

"Mabel...? Oh, man..." Dipper woke to a pounding headache and an incredible feeling of nausea washing over his entire body. He looked at his twin sister. She was kneeling on the floor beside his bed, a worried look on her face.

"You look terrible. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

Mabel pressed her palm to his forehead and bit her lip.

"You feel pretty warm. Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes." Dipper gave her a weak smile. "Just give me a few minutes, okay? I'll be right down."

"...Alright." She stood up and walked out the door, pausing for a moment and glancing back over her shoulder before shutting it behind her.

Dipper let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and stared at the ceiling. There was no way he could tell Mabel what was going on.

He knew why he felt this way. He wasn't sick, but he certainly wasn't okay.

What did Bill want from him? Whatever it was, Dipper didn't like it so far.

Dim laughter rang in his ears.

You'll learn to like it.

Whew! Okay. So there's the second chapter for you. Hopefully it wasn't TOO terrible.

(I don't know, I've gotten probably 22 hours of sleep over the past week and am kinda deprived.)

Sorry it was so short. I promise the next one will be longer.

~ Three


	3. Chapter 3: Of Nightmares and Demons

**Hey, readers! Thanks for your continued support of this story. Writing isn't easy, what with the semester in school wrapping up and three research papers due in school on Tuesday... But I promise I'll try to update at least one more time this week. **

**Now, I know I said this chapter would be longer than the last, and it is... By a couple hundred words. So I promise that I'll make Chapter 4 at least 2000 words. **

**Also, I've been having some issues with editing and just this website in general recently, so excuse any mistakes I may have made while typing.**

**Thanks!**

**~ Three **

Mabel knew something was off about her brother. And it wasn't just the fact that he had gotten so little sleep in the past few weeks. There was a sort of built-in sense that she had- she knew when something was going on with Dipper, and this was one of those times when her sibling-radar had been ringing off the hook.

Unfortunately, it was a lot harder to guess at the specific details than it was to guess at the general problem.

Dipper hadn't taken much interest in anything recently. That had started right after the puppet show. Even when he was getting a normal amount of sleep (for him, at least), he would always be sort of vacant and not present, like his mind was somewhere else.

And maybe it was. Mabel couldn't tell.

It wasn't until almost a month after the puppet show that she started to get an idea of what was going on in Dipper's head. It was so obvious! She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before.

He was obsessed with someone... And she knew just the girl who could fix his problems and crack this case wide open.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Dipper had been becoming increasingly worried about Mabel. She couldn't know. He couldn't let her find out that he was being visited by the very demon who had ruined everything for her, the demon who had possessed her brother and tricked all of them.

How could he? The situation was spiraling out of control, and there was no way she would understand any of it.

The boy had been obsessed with Bill since the show, and had even had thoughts of the demon at the back of his mind after he met him the first time. He always returned and connected to Bill and his possible motivations when he got into thinking about the journals, and the bigger picture.

And it seemed that the demon just wouldn't give him a rest. Almost every night, he would return to the boy's dreams and wreak havoc.

But he would stay silent. Nobody could know, not even the people closest to him, no matter how much he thought they would be able to help.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_Bill smirked at Dipper as he stood in front of him, twirling his cane around in the air. He seemed to be enjoying all this, as if it were some sort of sick, twisted game that he had dragged the boy into. _

_"No, please... Don't... Stop...!" Dipper's voice came out as a barely audible whisper, and Bill's smile grew to a wide grin. He leaned over the younger boy, who shut his eyes and cringed as he felt the other's penetrating gaze boring a hole straight through him. His mind was an open book, and they both knew it._

_"What, can't handle even a teensy little nightmare? Ah, my fragile little Pine Tree, how will you ever survive in this world?" He beamed down at Dipper, extending a gloved hand and letting it rest on the top of his head. The younger grimaced as the demon ran his fingers through his hair, but did nothing to prevent it. _

_Tears flowed freely from Dipper's eyes. He couldn't get Mabel's terrified expression out of his head. _

_"Alright, Piney, get up. The fun's not over yet. We've got more to do tonight!" _

_When he received no response, Bill kneeled down and examined Dipper's face. He noticed the crying, and felt a very slight pang of guilt at what he had done. _

_Guilt? HIM? Something really was special about this puny human flesh bag. _

_The dream demon wiped a tear away from the younger boy's face with the back of his hand, his touch soft and caring and nothing like what it had been like before._

_"Are you alright?" He asked. Dipper glared up at him with a look of pure poison in his glistening eyes._

_"Yes, Bill, I am perfectly fine after watching you torture my sister and burn everything I've ever loved to ashes. I'm glad you're concerned."_

_Any regret Bill had felt had vanished at this little comment from the boy. The corner of his mouth jerked up in a slight smile, and he got to his feet, grabbing Dipper's forearm and dragging him up with him. _

_"You're so adorable, Pine Tree. Until tomorrow, my dear!" _

_The smug smile remained on his face as he lifted the boy off the ground so they were eye-to-eye, their foreheads almost touching. Bill tilted his head to the side and let his lips brush against the other's, ever so slightly, before vanishing into thin air._

Dipper shot upright in bed, screaming at an incredibly high pitch. He desperately gasped for air, practically hyperventilating.

The loud stomps quickly getting closer to the attic signaled the approach of his twin sister. Mabel burst into the room and sprinted to his bedside.

"Are you okay, Dip? What happened? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Uh, I... Yeah. Just another nightmare. You know, normal stuff. Don't worry about it."

She looked mildly upset, but chose to dismiss this and ran back down the stairs, presumably to get her mind off things with some Mabel Juice or something equally sparkly and life-shortening.

Dipper slowly climbed out of his bed and stretched. His breathing had slowed, but he was still shaking and sweating from anxiety.

He staggered over to the dresser and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked terrible. He had become extremely pale and weak... But the dark circles under his eyes had started to grow lighter.

He had slept all night again. That was the third time that week.

Something had changed.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_"You should really try remembering a bit harder, my little Pine Tree. I gave you a hint, and I know you noticed it. You're smarter than this. I could've chosen any random meat sack to watch over, but I chose you. You know why? Because you're intelligent. You aren't as ignorant as the rest of your race. So you should have picked up on it."_

_Bill was pinning Dipper to the ground, similarly to what he had done the first time. He kept the younger boy's legs against the forest floor with his own, and held his arms apart. _

_"C'mon, Piney. What it is? What's my motivation? I did tell you, but did you listen...?" The demon cooed in a haunting, melodic tone, a smile playing across his face but vanishing quickly. _

_Dipper, once again, didn't retaliate. Bill didn't seem to be in as good of a mood as he had been in the past, where everything was funny and amusing, all the time. Now he seemed dead serious, and there was something about the edge to his voice that made Dipper's skin crawl, so the boy didn't dare fight back._

_"You... You have big plans coming, and you don't need me getting in your way... You said so yourself." _

_Bill's cold, humorless expression was suddenly overtaken by one that Dipper didn't exactly like. He seemed completely overwhelmed with ecstasy._

_"Hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA! Boy, you sure are an idiot, kid! No wonder you haven't been able to figure out anything important. And to think I actually considered you a threat..."_

_The demon was grinning broadly, his one eye bearing nothing but malice._

_"I'll let you figure it out. You do so love to solve your mysteries!"_

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_Dipper clutched his chest as it heaved in and out. His body shook and ached with every pounding step he took. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been running, or where exactly he was, but it felt like an eternity spent in a white void. _

_He was running from... Something. Something vague and distant, that he couldn't find the words to describe. It didn't take a physical form. _

_It was weird how dreams worked that way._

_Suddenly, the emptiness of the world around Dipper melted away into a soft, golden light that enveloped him completely. It felt warm and... Oddly pleasant. _

_Then he was back at the Mystery Shack. It was business as usual, with the buses pulling up in the front lot and Stan shouting about "wonders never before seen by human eyes." _

_The whole thing immediately set alarms off inside Dipper's head. It was all too normal. _

This was a trap.

_Nevertheless, Dipper found himself drawn towards the Shack by a strange force, almost as if he wasn't in full control over his body anymore. _

_He shuddered, remembering the last time he had lost control._

_He was pulled through the gift shop and up into the attic, where he was practically thrown down onto his bed. Journal 3 was laid in front of him, surrounded by a glowing aura that pulsated and flickered._

_The pages of the journal flipped back and forth rapidly, like someone was trying to find something specific. _

_Eventually, it stopped on a page that Dipper had never seen before. Drawn on it in black ink was Bill in his regular form, surrounded by a circle containing ten symbols. _

_Confused, Dipper picked the book up off the bed and held it closer to him. What did this mean?_

_A bright flash of light temporarily blinded Dipper, making him look away. When he returned his gaze to the journal, he saw a tiny blue flame ignite in the middle of each symbol on the circle. One by one, the flames seared holes in the symbols until they had been burned right through the paper, leaving smoldering gaps in a ring around the image of Bill. _

_Dipper swallowed nervously. This did not bode well._

**Well, I hope that wasn't TOO terrible... Feedback always appreciated. Chapter 4 should be out by Thursday.**

**~ Three**


	4. Chapter 4: A Trip Down Memory Lane

**Hello again, readers. This chapter isn't very good, so I apologize in advance. I haven't had much time to work on it this week, unfortunately. I really love writing this, and you guys all seem to like it so far, so it's disappointing when I am unable to write... And when I am, it turns out to be something bad like this. But at least I managed to make it around 2,000 words. **

**I'm going out of town, so I won't be able to update for the next week or so, but hopefully I'll be able to post a new chapter after that at some point. Thanks again for all the support, and enjoy. **

**Feedback always appreciated. **

**~ Three**

The day was winding to an end, and customers were filing out of the Mystery Shack. Stan shouted something about refunds at them, they all got onto buses, and soon the woods around the building were quiet.

Bill had been waiting for hours for this. It hadn't really been all that long, but being forced to watch the tourists gawk at the Shack's fake oddities and listen to their incredibly boring thoughts had made it feel like an eternity.

But finally, he had his chance.

Stan had disappeared, Question Mark had gone home, Shooting Star was with her hideous friends, and Pine Tree was alone at last.

Bill had been wanting to look through his memories for some time now. Entering one's dreams to try and get deeper into their mind was risky, especially with someone like Pine Tree, who was so much more aware during the dream; there was a greater chance of being caught and even expelled from the mind. When someone was awake, they were a lot less aware of what occurred in the mindscape and therefore were easier to penetrate.

Bill floated over to where Pine Tree was sitting in the living room. The human boy didn't really seem to be paying attention to whatever stupid human show was playing on the television in front of him. He was staring off into space, daydreaming.

The dream demon frowned. It would be easier for Pine Tree to sense what was happening in the mindscape now, since his mind had drifted off into it.

An idea popped into Bill's head. He started changing the channels back and forth on the TV, which made Pine Tree's focus return to it for a brief moment.

Bill seized the opportunity and, without hesitation, plunged himself into the boy's mind.

When he appeared inside Pine Tree's mind, Bill was somewhat underwhelmed. It looked just like any other human's, with random objects scattered around, and a staticky, monochromatic version of the world.

He had thought that the boy would've had something more interesting going on here, since his brain was so much more active than everyone else's.

Bill reminded himself that he was here for a reason, and began to search for the place where Pine Tree's memories would be contained.

In every human mind was a specific compartment designed to store memories, but each one was different. Stan's was the Mystery Shack, for example.

Bill closed his one eye and tapped into Pine Tree's thoughts, from the past and present. That was something that didn't require any additional searching. He had learned a lot since the time he had been defeated inside Stan's mindscape, and he could do so much more.

There was something small, a very subtle hint drifting through the undercurrents of Pine Tree's hazy stream of thoughts- it was the place where his memories resided.

Bill smiled to himself, snapped his fingers, and was standing in a forest somewhere.

Surrounding him were thousands of tiny, iridescent crystals were jutting out from the ground all over the place. This was the only area of the mindscape that Bill had seen so far that had any color to it, and it was striking. Every little part of everything was beautifully colored and everything seemed so precise. Each needle and leaf on each tree was immaculate, with designs that went down to the finest detail.

And the crystals were the best part. They shone and glinted in the sun, casting beams of multi-colored light.

Bill knelt down and examined one of the crystals closely before tentatively extracting it from the ground. He held it in the palm of his hand and stared intensely into it. An image appeared on its surface. It appeared to be Pine Tree and Shooting Star working in the Mystery Shack gift shop.

_So these are Pine Tree's memories... _

Most people just had buildings filled with doors, but not this one. He was different.

_Always has been_, Bill thought as he returned the memory crystal to where it had been.

Bill poked around inside the boy's mind for some time, occasionally removing a memory crystal as he worked his way further into thoughts of the past. Many of Pine Tree's older memories were incredibly boring. They depicted things like the Pines twins' summers back in Piedmont, and their normal lives. Bill could hardly imagine how excruciatingly bland it must have been for the kid before he arrived in Gravity Falls.

No, wait... He could. He remembered the millennia before he had met Pine Tree, and how rare it had been to find a mortal this interesting. It must have been like that.

A particularly large pyramid-shaped prism caught Bill's eye. He carefully made his way through the sea of shimmering memories and pried it out of where it was wedged into a tree stump.

Bill gazed into it, but no image came.

_Well, what's missing?_

It had been easy before, so why wasn't it now?

Come to think of it, this one did feel exceedingly light. Bill tapped his chin, confused.

The demon submitted, figuring it probably wasn't worth it anyway. He already knew that the boy, although he was suspicious about the demon's plans, wasn't plotting to do anything against him. He was just doing his normal thing, solving random mysteries as they showed up around town.

It couldn't be anything important.

Could it?

Bill slowly lowered the memory prism back into the stump where he had found it and began to float off to a different area. A shrill, staticky noise came from behind him, and he froze in the air. He looked over his shoulder and saw a picture slowly start to appear on the face of the crystal.

It was Pine Tree. He was lying on his back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a forlorn and lost expression on his face. Then it cut away, and revealed the boy sitting on the front porch of the Shack with Journal 3 in his hand. He was frantically searching through it for something, muttering, "Where is it, where is it, where is it...?"

Puzzled, and with interest piqued, Bill returned to the pyramid-shaped prism and sat down in front of it.

These memories went on for longer than any of the other ones had. This crystal seemed to be a compilation of a certain type of memory or thought.

And they were steadily growing worse, and harder for Bill to watch.

The dream demon looked on, his stomach slowly twisting into knots as he witnessed the transformation that Pine Tree was undergoing.

Pine Tree, lying on the roof of the Shack for hours. Refusing to eat for days on end until forced to. Being dragged around by Shooting Star, barely able to move. Standing beneath an oak tree in the middle of the woods, slamming his forehead against its trunk and repeating something incomprehensible.

Bill was shocked, and felt rather nauseous. What was causing the human boy so much pain?

Oh...

_Oh._

It was all suddenly so clear.

How could Bill not have realized how much he had really been tearing the kid apart? It was the little game he had entered them both into, and it had all been fun until this. This hurt. This hurt worse than anything he had ever experienced before.

_This is all my fault..._

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Mabel had been following Dipper around at a distance for some time now. He had definitely been sleeping a lot more, but he was still constantly depressed and lacked pretty much all motivation to do anything except stare at the journal.

And then there were his nightmares.

Her brother had always had nightmares, but they had become increasingly worse as the twins had aged, and being in Gravity Falls had really accelerated the downward slope. Mabel didn't quite understand why. She loved the town, and she knew he did too. Sure, there were monsters and magic and conspiracies greater than anything they had ever seen or ever would... But that really couldn't be why, could it? Dipper had a passion for those mysteries and getting to the bottom of them.

So Mabel had narrowed it down to relationship problems. But the thing about Dipper was that he had never been in a relationship and probably wouldn't be in one for a long time. There was always the possibility of Wendy's rejection, but that had been a pretty long time ago. No, it wasn't that.

Mabel was sitting on her bed, knitting another sweater for Waddles. She was deep into her work and completely lost in thought. She tried to remember as far back as she could to try to get to the start of whatever issue this was.

What had happened to the twins that had been life-changing?

Nothing, Mabel thought, frowning a little. In truth, their lives back in California hadn't been exciting in any way. It was just routine, normal stuff, every day for twelve years.

The only thing that had been different in the way things were was coming to Gravity Falls.

But it had been more than half the summer, and Dipper hadn't been this way at the beginning. It had gotten bad recently, and had happened both extremely slowly and quickly at the same time.

Ever since the puppet show, things had been weird with Dipper. His focus had been somewhere else entirely-

Wait a minute.

Of course! It was Bill Cipher! That's why Dipper was feeling this way, acting this way. He had been obsessed with the dream demon.

Why? Was he worried about what Bill was planning? Was he angry with him for everything that had happened? Was he plotting revenge?

Did he secretly have a thing for Bill?

Mabel chuckled, shaking her head and continuing to work the needles.

She cracked herself up.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Dipper was trying to fall asleep that night. His mind was hard at work, all sorts of thoughts swirling around inside, but it wasn't nearly as disorienting as it had been about a week ago.

He didn't feel especially tired, or even as tormented as he had been even the night before. Things were finally looking up for him, and everyone had noticed the change. Dipper had gone back to hanging out with Soos and Wendy on a fairly regular basis. He was starting to work again, and had been able to help Stan out a bit more with running the Shack. Best of all, Mabel hadn't seemed as concerned about him anymore.

She was acting strange, though. She was constantly trailing him wherever he went, and appeared to be very intent on achieving some goal that was unclear to Dipper.

He dismissed it as just more of her standard Mabel oddness.

The days were getting brighter, and Dipper was almost always ready to get up and get going in the mornings...

But then the dream demon would pay him a visit each night, and all the confusion would come rushing back.

**Happy holidays, readers! Chapter 5 will be posted at some point during the next two weeks.**

**~ Three**


	5. Chapter 5: Most Sincere Apologies

**Hi! I'm back from vacation and here with another chapter. I made this one almost 2000 words, and I am very pleased with that. Plus... It's incredibly full of fluff! :) This was really fun to write, so I hope it's just as fun to read.**

**Sorry if this story line feels a little rushed. I just had to get all of my built-up BillDip stuff out, you know?**

**Chapter 6 will be published by the end of the weekend. **

**Let's get on with it, shall we?**

**~ Three**

_Okay, you can do this, Bill. Just get in there and say it. Just get it over with. _

Bill exhaled loudly and rested his chin in his hands. He looked down at the sleeping boy below him. The human child was in the middle of a dream that Bill wasn't really aware of; the demon's focus had been entirely consumed by his anxiety the whole time.

He couldn't believe he was stooping so low. He had never had any reason to apologize to any human flesh bag before... And now, here he was, being brought down to this pathetic level by a twelve-year-old.

_Just_ _do it._

No, no. He couldn't. Not tonight, anyway. Tomorrow he would face the music and apologize, but he couldn't tonight.

Bill slowly dropped down so he was hovering directly above Pine Tree. He laid himself out flat and looked at the boy's face. Without quite realizing it, he brushed Pine Tree's bangs aside to reveal his birthmark.

The demon smiled, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. He didn't know why Pine Tree bothered to hide the mark all the time. It was so adorable!

_You have to tell him. You know the pain you've made him go through. Can you really take the guilt that knowing you drove him insane would bring?_

There were a few problems with being able to see the future. The largest of these is that you knew what was coming, and knew it was rare when you could change it. Most of the time, Bill didn't need to change the course of history, or want to, but there were occasional events that he wanted to alter where there was only one possible outcome.

He knew that Pine Tree's life would come to an end. As much as it hurt to know this, and to know how, when, and where, he had never been too bothered by it. The kid was only mortal, after all.

But Bill had seen plenty of humans go insane, and it was never pleasant. The fact that he could see each and every alternate timeline in potential existence, including the one where Pine Tree lost his mind, filled him with dread.

But he just couldn't tell him.

Not tonight.

The demon smiled at the human boy, pulled his covers up over his shoulders, and left.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_DO. IT. NOW._

He had put it off for far too long. Each night that passed by was filled with Bill arguing with himself and then deciding he'd do it the next day.

The next day would come. He'd say it would be the next day, for sure.

One more day... One more day can't hurt.

He knew he was procrastinating and being awfully childish, but he was too prideful to submit and admit defeat like this.

A week and a half after he had rummaged through Pine Tree's memories, he found himself floating above the boy once more.

It's time. You can't fight it anymore...

With a deep sigh, Bill pressed his fingertips to Pine Tree's temples, and was sucked into a dream.

_"Pine Tree? Pine Tree? Hellooooooo?" _

_Dipper opened his eyes and blinked as a bright light filled them. As they adjusted to it, his surroundings registered in his brain._

_He was sitting on a white park bench on the top of a hill. It overlooked the valley that contained Gravity Falls. It appeared to be sunset, and the sky was a brilliant orange. A twisted willow tree extended out over the bench, shading it._

_Suddenly, Bill appeared next to Dipper, still in his human form. His golden tuxedo and blond hair shone brightly, and his pale skin seemed to glow, despite the shade._

_"Hey, kid. How are ya doin'?"_

_The dream demon had an uncomfortable, nervous expression on his face. He kept playing with his collar and straightening his bow tie. His fingers were visibly shaking. _

_"Um... Are you okay?" _

_"YES! I'm fine, perfectly fine, never been better..." Bill trailed off. His one eye darted around, refusing to settle on Dipper._

_"So... What's up?" Dipper felt equally uncomfortable. This was not like Bill. He had never seen him anxious before, and it made him worried. _

_"I, uh... There's something that I've been meaning to tell you..." Without warning, Bill reached out and took Dipper's hands in his own, shifting so that they were facing each other. "Pine Tree, you know you mean the world to me, right?"_

_A blush crept onto both of their faces as that statement sunk in._

_"W-w-what are you t-talking about...?" The younger stammered._

_"I just... I... Oh, never mind." The demon released his hands and turned away. Dipper was surprisingly disappointed. His gloves had been so warm, so soft..._

_He was overtaken by a fierce desire to know what was going on. "No. I'm tired of you keeping secrets from me, Bill. Tell me now."_

_The demon looked over his shoulder at the boy. He slowly brought himself back around to look him in the eyes again. He took a deep breath, and then let it all out._

_"Piney, I came to apologize to you for everything I've done... Please, please forgive me... For all the hurt that I've caused you-" Bill started to choke on his words, and a tear formed in the corner of his eye. _

_Dipper didn't know what to say. This was one side of the dream demon that he had certainly never expected to see._

_Bill looked down, his face still a vibrant red. The tears were now flowing freely. _

_"I know what I've done. I know what I almost made you suffer through. And I'm sorry. God, Dipper, I am so, so sorry." _

_"You... You called me by my name."_

_Finally, the demon returned his gaze to the younger. "Yeah, I guess I did."_

_"Bill, I... I forgive you. Of course I forgive you." The boy wiped a tear out of the corner of the demon's eye and didn't remove his hand from the side of his face._

_A wide grin spread across Bill's face, and he pulled Dipper into a crushing hug. _

_"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Pine Tree, my dear, you've made me the happiest little demon in the universe!"_

_Dipper found himself unable to escape from Bill's death grip. The demon dug his gloved fingertips into the boy's hair and shirt, refusing to let go. Eventually, the boy gave up trying and wrapped his arms around Bill's torso, letting himself be swept away from the world. _

_After what seemed like multiple eternities, the two finally released each other. Both were now smiling broadly, faces flushed._

_"Hey, what do you say we just forget about that little meltdown of mine, hm?" _

_"Yeah, okay. Sounds fine."_

_Bill continued to beam down at the human boy, the red color finally receding from his cheeks. His single blue eye sparkled beautifully._

_After a few minutes passed in silence, Dipper decided to ask Bill a question that had been on his mind a lot lately. _

_"Hey, Bill? If you can shapeshift into a human form, why can't you make yourself have two eyes?"_

_The demon thought it over, then simply shrugged and said, "Some things, even I can't change."_

_After another brief moment of contemplation, Bill took hold of Dipper's wrist and brought his hand up to the hair that swept down over his left eye. He made the boy's hand move it aside._

_Where there should have been a second eye was instead a black, triangular patch with a golden pyramid on it. It appeared to be stitched on._

_"Huh," Dipper said, not quite sure what to think._

_"It didn't take that long to make this thing, but it sure did take a lot of planning. Sure, I was able to look like your friend when we were in Stan's mind, but this required me to actually create my own design, since I didn't have to mimic another's. You meat bags are surprisingly complicated, even in the mindscape."_

_Bill let go of Dipper's wrist and returned the lock of hair to its rightful place. _

_More silence ensued. With every minute that ticked by, the sun dropped in the sky, until the landscape was illuminated by silver moonlight. _

_An alarm snapped the two out of their wordless peace. Bill removed a pocket watch from within his suit jacket and groaned. _

_"Unfortunately, my time here is up for the night. Adieu, my little Pine Tree. 'Til next time."_

_The demon got to his feet and conjured his cane, then began to walk off. Dipper bit his lip, then jumped up and followed. _

_"Wait, Bill!" The boy grabbed the back of his suit, stopping him. _

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you going to come back tomorrow?"_

_"I don't know. Most likely. Why?"_

_"Because I don't want to wait. Promise?"_

_The demon smiled and ignited a blue flame in his hand. "Promise," he said, offering it to the boy._

_For the first time, Dipper did not hesitate in taking it._

_And yet again, Bill held tight._

_Bill's other hand found the boy's waist, and he lifted him off the ground. _

_"What are you-" He tried to interject, but was silenced by a finger pressed to his lips._

_"Not another word..."_

_The gloved finger was suddenly replaced by Bill's own lips. He kept Dipper held close to him as he deepened the kiss, tilting his head to the side. _

_Dipper's brain short-circuited, leaving him with nothing but static for thoughts as he felt the demon's mouth work against his. His eyes fluttered shut, and he leaned into it, fading out into a sweet bliss._

_Sadly, all good things must come to an end._

_The demon vanished, leaving Dipper suspended in a void and never wanting to leave it._

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Dipper was practically prancing around the Mystery Shack gift shop the next morning. His mind was running around in frantic little circles, his stomach had butterflies, and he felt light inside.

Mabel picked up on this almost instantly. She followed him around all day, and practically attacked him when they got to their lunch break.

"Well, well, someone's looking well-rested!" She shouted, popping up from behind the chair Dipper was sitting in. He didn't even respond.

"Hey, brosif, what's up?"

She walked around and sat at the chair across from him. He had his chin resting in his hand and was staring out the window, a romantic, dreamy look on his face.

Mabel giggled excitedly. She knew exactly what that look meant.

"Uh-oh... Somebody's in loooooooooove!"

This comment brought Dipper back to the world.

"What? What are you taking about, Mabel? I'm not in love with anyone!"

"Uh-huh," she said, smirking. "So who is she? What's her name? Is she pretty? What does she like? Where did you meet her? What's her-"

"Mabel, please!" Dipper hissed, cutting her off. "I don't like anybody. I've just been sleeping better, that's all."

"DIPPER, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME! I can't believe this! You've found someone new! You're finally getting over Wendy!"

Okay, so she had been wrong about Bill Cipher. Maybe he wasn't the reason Dipper was going crazy, or at least not the only reason.

"It's not just some girl, Mabel. It's nothing. Trust me."

Her brother got up and left the kitchen, leaving her alone at the table.

Despite his denial, he had given her all the information she had needed. Now, it was just up to her to figure out who his new crush was...

**YEP, I DID THAT! Please let me know what you all think. Happy holidays again.**

**~ Three**


	6. Chapter 6: The Dangers of Love

**Hello, everyone. I'm really sorry about the lack of updates recently... I'd try to offer some excuse, but there really aren't any. I was just kind of being lazy. So... Sorry.**

**But I've made a New Year's Resolution to be the dedicated author I said I would be at the beginning of all this, so I'll write and update as often as possible. **

**This chapter was really enjoyable for me to write. Hooray for 2000 words! Thanks again, you guys, and welcome to 2015!**

**~ Three**

_Come on, pull yourself together, Bill. I thought you were stronger than this. _

Bill was sitting on a rock protruding from a cliffside that stretched out over a glasslike pond. He was gazing down at the water, at his reflection, which was really nothing more than a silhouette.

How could he have let things get this far? Sure, he had liked Pine Tree from pretty much the moment he had encountered him. His fierce intelligence and determination separated him from all others, and made him especially pleasing as a target for Bill... But it was something more now, something that grew every day and was intent on taking over.

Sentiment, compassion, love. Those were all things Bill had sworn not to let himself feel. He was planning on overrunning this world. How could he do that if he cared about something or someone in it? He had made a pact with himself to avoid emotions.

And yet, here he was, falling in love with a sweaty preteen boy who could be the biggest danger to his plans... And not just because he had the supernatural knowledge and mental ability to beat Bill. This sentiment, creeping into Bill's corrupted heart like poison, would be the end of him.

_You've fallen into something you can't get out of._

He couldn't allow himself to feel this way, especially towards Pine Tree. This would jeopardize everything he had worked for in his thousands of years of existence.

What could Bill do to prevent this from consuming him completely? He had seen plenty of humans fall in love so desperately, and it was not easy to fight.

Bill conjured a small flame on the tip of his index finger and held it up in front of him, watching it flicker and waver in the slight breeze.

What could he do?

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

As Bill watched Pine Tree go about his business during the day, it became increasingly obvious that he wasn't the only one to feel this way. Pine Tree would hardly stop smiling all day, greeting every customer that walked into the Shack with a huge grin and a loud hello. He was happy, almost ecstatic, and seemed lighthearted and free for once in his life.

When Pine Tree was on a short break at around lunchtime, Bill floated down to him and hovered right in front of him. He was sitting at the kitchen table with his chin in his hand, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Bill pressed his fingertips to the boy's temples, and closed his eye.

Pine Tree's thoughts came rushing to him in a jumbled flurry, almost knocking him backwards from the sheer force of it all. The scramble was incoherent, but Pine Tree wasn't conflicted in any way, about anything. His mind was set and focused on one idea, one daydream, and one demon.

With each little thought and emotion that passed through, Bill's eye widened a little bit. The boy was in love... With HIM. He felt like he would throw up.

It would be much harder to escape this now, when he knew it was mutual. But even with Pine Tree's thoughts saying what he felt loud and clear, Bill was still confused.

What had happened, what had changed? Just a week ago, the boy had dreaded the demon's appearances in his dreams, and had been afraid of him. Now, after the one dream and their one kiss, he was completely head-over-heels.

That had gone really fast, and had been an incredibly significant change.

Hatred to love in one night? Heck, any mortal feeling something towards a demon was strange enough, but this? Bill didn't know how to react to that.

Through it all, Bill was feeling nauseous and confused, but also elated. The boy returned his feelings, and even though those feelings weren't supposed to exist, this made the dream demon feel fluttery and joyful inside.

But he couldn't get rid of the nagging sensation at the back of his mind that all this was wrong and needed to be stopped. This love would tear Bill's plans to shreds, and he didn't want to lose everything he had been working so hard to achieve. He wouldn't be able to save this mortal child when the world fell to darkness.

Bill took his fingertips off of Pine Tree's head and backed away, all the contradictory emotions he was feeling making him dizzy. He refused to look at the boy sitting before him.

_Weak..._

Bill shook his head, trying to eliminate this thought, then snapped his fingers and was gone from the Mystery Shack.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

"Hey, Dipper," Mabel called to her brother, who was sitting on the stairs. "I'm having Candy and Grenda over tonight for a sleepover! Is that okay?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Dipper didn't look up from the journal he was scribbling in.

Mabel approached him and looked over his shoulder. Filling the page of the book he was holding was a drawing of a teenager wearing a suit, top hat, bow tie, and eyepatch.

"Whoa, who's that?"

"He's-" Dipper stopped drawing. Oh, no. What should he tell her? "He's, um... Just a friend."

"He's kinda hot," Mabel said to no one in particular. Dipper felt his face flush, although he couldn't tell from what.

"Yeah, sure." He continued to work on the picture.

Mabel took a few steps back from him and mulled over this. Dipper was drawing some guy who she had never seen before, but he claimed was a "friend." Well, the twins hadn't spent much time separated from each other recently, so when did he meet this person? And why didn't he tell her about him?

Suddenly, she reached out and plucked the journal out of his hand.

"Hey, Mabel, give it back!" Dipper tried to reclaim it from her, but she kept him away from her with one hand (she was stronger than he was) and flipped through the journal pages with the other.

Several pages were covered with drawings of the same strange teenager, from all sorts of different perspectives. As she saw each drawing, her smile widened. When she stopped on a particular one depicting Dipper and this stranger sitting on a park bench together, a lightbulb went off inside her head, and she let out an ear-piercing scream.

"So THAT'S who you've been obsessed with! Dipper! OH MY GOSH, this is so amazing! Why didn't you tell me that you like guys?"

Dipper blushed, his face turning a dark red. "WHAT?! Mabel, I don't like guys! What are you even talking about?"

Mabel tapped the image of the two sitting on the bench, wiggling her eyebrows. "This, bro-bro, is a romantic obsession. Oh, man, this is awesome! Now we can talk about cute boys and you can join Candy, Grenda, and I at sleepovers, and-"

"Mabel, just shut up, okay? I don't like guys, and I definitely don't like _him_." He snatched the journal out of her hand with surprising force and stalked upstairs. He slammed the attic door behind him after entering, and collapsed onto his bed.

Great... This was just what he needed, Mabel thinking he liked this guy. She wouldn't give him a moment's peace now.

Well, at least she didn't know it was Bill.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

When Candy, Grenda, and Mabel were together in one room all night, it tended to keep Dipper from getting any sleep. They would play screechy pop music at full volume, read awful romance novels, play obnoxious games, and generally destroy almost everything in sight.

Dipper had gotten used to all this over time...

But now he had something even worse to worry about- instead of trying to keep him away from it, they were now trying to drag him into it.

Grenda dumped out the contents of her backpack onto Mabel's bed. There were at least twenty books about werewolves or vampires in there. Dipper shuddered at the thought, remembering the horror he had to endure when he and Mabel had switched bodies and he was forced to listen to Grenda read those.

"Hey, Dippingsauce, you should come over here and read these with us! It'll be fun!"

Dipper was once again deep into the journal, sketching and writing furiously. "Uh, no it won't. Just leave me out of it."

Mabel frowned, then marched over to her brother and wrenched the book away from him. She tossed it over to her side of the room and returned to her bedside. She opened it, and began to display the drawings that he had made.

Her friends seemed to be awestruck by Dipper's artwork, and dazzled by the teenager it involved. Grenda spoke after a few moments. "Whoa, he's HOT."

Dipper ground his teeth, cheeks flushing again.

"Yeah," Mabel said, smirking. "Dipper's obsessed with him."

"Uh-oh," Candy said, reminding him of his sister. "Somebody's in loooooove!"

The three girls giggled, and Dipper shot to his feet.

"Alright, fine! Say what you like, I don't care... Just give me back my journal!" He stomped over to them and grabbed the journal from off the bed before exiting the room and going onto the roof.

The cool night air felt good on Dipper's face, blowing through his hair. He sighed loudly and sat down on the edge of the roof, staring up at the brilliant full moon.

All of a sudden, Dipper's eyelids started to feel heavy, and his head spun. He was overcome by exhaustion, and decided to rest his eyes... For... Just a few moments...

_Dipper found himself in the mindscape. He was still on the roof of the Shack, though, which meant that this probably wasn't a dream. _

_The thought of a visit from Bill made Dipper smile just a bit. He desperately wanted to see the demon again._

_After a few moments of silence in the gray world of the mindscape, Bill finally appeared, sitting next to Dipper._

_"Hi," the boy said, looking up at Bill._

_"Hey, Piney. How have you been?"_

_"Great! I mean, uh... Good, you know." He shrugged, trying to come off as nonchalant but failing. _

_"Mhm. Fantasies treating you well, hm? By the way, you're a very talented artist, Pine Tree. I'm flattered."_

_"Oh, you saw those?" Dipper looked away, suddenly nervous._

_"Kid, there's not much I don't see in this world." Bill leaned back, putting his hands on the wood behind him to keep himself upright. "I see the past, the present, and the future, and everything each contains. I am omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent... But despite all this power, I am still weighed down by... Human things."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_Bill let out an exasperated sigh and tilted his head backwards. His top hat fell off, but he didn't seem to care. "I mean that I still feel things, Pine Tree, no matter how much I don't want to. I don't want to care for a thing in this world, because one day it will burn to its core and there's nothing I can do to fight that."_

_Dipper blinked, somewhat confused. "Okaaaaay..."_

_"Oh, you wouldn't understand, kid! Just... Whatever." He closed his eye. _

_"So, why did you come here, then?"_

_Bill suddenly became very uncomfortable. He picked up his hat and placed it back on his head, and wouldn't stop adjusting it. _

_"I came to tell you that I... That you... Well, you see, you're very intelligent... And, uh, kind... And attractive- No! It's just that, I mean... I like you, Pine Tree. Well, I guess you kind of knew that already, but, er... I do." He made an attempt to hide his face with the brim of his hat, but Dipper could still see it. _

_"Wow, uh... Okay." They refused to meet each other's eyes. _

_Dipper spent quite some time trying to find the words to express how he felt, and to let Bill know that he felt the same, but by the time he opened his mouth to speak again, the demon was gone._

**Hopefully, I will have Chapter 7 published by Sunday. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Happy New Year!**

**~ Three **


	7. Chapter 7: A Golden Light in Darkness

**ARGH... I'm sorry, guys! I was kind of tied up yesterday, so I wasn't able to get anything done until tonight. Plus school has started up again, and they're already laying the work down pretty hard (not to mention the musical we're putting on in a month and no one is ready for).**

**But you guys don't care about my life, you're here for Chapter 7, so Chapter 7 you shall have. I hope you enjoy.**

**~ Three**

Speaking had never been Bill Cipher's strongest suit.

He was a demon of the mind who existed on a different plane than nearly everything else. Why would he need to be an eloquent speaker? He rarely connected with mortals, usually watching from a distance. Besides, you don't need to converse when you know what everyone else is thinking every single second of their lives.

So when Bill had approached Pine Tree, it hadn't come as a shock that he had stumbled over every word... But it still made him feel... Embarrassed? Was that the word?

Bill Cipher, master of the mind, one of the most powerful beings ever to exist in all the universe... Felt embarrassment, and over something as simple and humiliating as this?

Bill knew he couldn't allow himself to feel this way- about anything on Earth, especially Pine Tree. The world was going to come to an end one day, one day very soon. His Pine Tree would be ripped away from him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Even if there was, would he do it? Would he strip away all of his hard work and everything he'd strived to achieve for the life of one mortal boy? Especially when he knew that said mortal was only mortal and therefore would only last so long anyway?

Bill often enjoyed peering into alternate realities, dimensions, and timelines. He enjoyed watching Pine Tree and Shooting Star possess opposite personalities, with the male twin being the fun-loving one and the female twin being the serious one. He also had quite a bit of fun with Gideon Gleeful and the bratty Northwest child in the Pines twins' places.

There were so many possibilities, so much to explore... And yet, Bill decided to remain in this universe, where the end of the world would come to pass within the next generation.

Perhaps it was because this version of Earth was full of fun little puppets whose strings Bill could pluck at whenever he chose with the greatest of ease. All these mindless, powerless weaklings for him to play with, to manipulate, to use to make the boredom go away.

But there was more to this now than pulling strings. There was something that demons rarely experienced, and rarely wanted to.

Bill could see why these mortal flaws were avoided by all the other superior beings in this universe and others- they twist and bend you, distorting what seems right and wrong. Sentiment was a poison, a chemical defect, and it was one that was always being fought by immortals.

It made sense. It was unwise to become too attached to anything that remained in the mortal plane. It would all end one day, no matter what.

Bill had told them to buy gold. Gold was something he'd always loved, and it would never lose its value, even when society would collapse and the world would tear in two.

But this golden light in the sea of humanity's darkness was something the dream demon both loved and detested with a burning passion. He had fallen in love with a mortal child, and worse, the child had fallen in love with him.

If only Pine Tree knew of the nightmares that Bill would soon bring to life... Maybe that would change something.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Bill decided to visit the home of his beloved mortal later that day, just to see what the kid was up to. He was just doing his normal Pine Tree thing- cleaning off attractions in the Mystery Shack gallery, occasionally being selected to be an attraction himself, daydreaming, doodling, deciphering.

The demon frowned as he watched the boy go about his day. He steadily grew more and more concerned. How could he possibly unravel the fabric of this reality and blur the lines between what was real and what was not if this child was standing in his way?

Of course, it wasn't quite how he had expected it to happen. Up until recently, Pine Tree was a threat, yes, but not on this level. He was just a human getting close enough to figuring out enough answers to put the pieces together... And maybe even defeat the demon.

This was a different kind of obstacle entirely, something far more difficult to remove.

With each minute Bill spent watching Pine Tree from the shadows of the mindscape, with each moment spent tap-dancing in his thoughts, he felt his adoration of the boy grow more intense. He was just so... Unique, so special. He opened his eyes and mind to the mysteries, conspiracies, and possibilities that life contained.

This sort of personality was rare among humans, but could be found. Bill was always impressed with these people when he started keeping an eye on them.

But you can never have someone get _too_ smart, can you? Otherwise they begin to connect everything and see the bigger picture, and the little games must stop there.

It always made Bill a bit sad when such magnificent minds were put to waste, but there was never any real attachment. It was just a slightly more interesting plaything of the demon's that had broken.

So it was more than this fascination with a superior thinker that drew Bill to Pine Tree. The kid was kind, understanding, compassionate, selfless, brave... The list stretched on.

There were so many things that were likable about Pine Tree. It made it hard for Bill not to like him as a result.

He was one shining light in an empty world, and it made Bill long for him, no matter how much he told himself not to be subdued.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_They were sitting in a meadow this time. The grass was soft, and was dotted with vivid wildflowers that were reaching for a scarlet sun that rested on the edge of the horizon. _

_Neither one said anything. They were comfortable lost in this silence, with nothing but the quiet sound of the wind in their ears._

_Neither one looked at the other. The dream that Bill had built around them was quite marvelous, and Dipper was trying to take it all in, down to the very last insignificant detail. Bill was staring at his shoes, twirling a blade of grass around his finger. _

_Finally, Dipper snapped them out of the silence._

_"This is some dream you made. It's... Actually really impressive."_

_"The mindscape is my canvas, ready for painting. I am the master of it, and it's not hard to control." _

_"So, why did you come tonight?" Dipper slid over a little bit so he was closer to Bill. Despite the vacant and slightly distraught expression on his face, the demon was as handsome as ever._

_"You know I can hear your thoughts, right?"_

_"I never forget that, Bill. But it doesn't matter anyway."_

_The dream demon bit his lip. The kid was being so open all of a sudden. It didn't make any sense to Bill. _

_Well, not that it was hard to sense what was going through his head before... But now the boy was offering himself up to the demon, unafraid._

_Every little thing made it that much harder for Bill to stop loving him. _

_"Listen, Pine Tree..." Bill took hold of Dipper's hand, still refusing to even glance at him. "This world won't last forever. Big things are coming, and there's nothing either of us can do to stop them... So I don't know what to do."_

_Dipper smiled and leaned his head against Bill's shoulder, closing his eyes._

_"You don't have to know yet. You don't have to see everything, all the time."_

_"Yes, I do! That's the point, kid! I know everything there is to know about this universe and all its parallels. I see every moment in the future. I know that this world is coming to an end, and soon. Don't you get it? I have the power to see it, but not the power to alter it. There's nothing I can do to change the course of history. I've seen it play out. I know how the story ends."_

_Dipper was silent. Bill reached across with his free hand and removed the younger's hat, running his fingers through his soft hair. _

_"And I can't save you, Piney. I can't save any of you."_

**As always, please let me know what you think of this chapter! **

**This time, I'm not going to promise anything other than a general idea of when I should be able to upload. It should be at some point within the next week. **

**You guys are the best. Your comments always make my day, and it's really gratifying to know that there are people out there who are invested in my work and are always eagerly awaiting more. That's a great opportunity for me as a writer, so a big THANK YOU to everyone!**

**~ Three**


	8. Chapter 8: Breaking Point

**I've decided that I'm going to end this story at the tenth chapter. **

**When I do end it, though, I want to start a new one as soon as possible, and I am taking suggestions for what it should be. Feel free to look at the poll I've made and let me know what you think.**

**Also, I had some pretty crazy writer's block this week while trying to make Chapter 8, so bear with me on this one! **

**~ Three**

Dipper had a song stuck in his head.

It had been there for days now. It was one of those horrid synthesized "songs" (if you could even call them that) that was from a movie Mabel had been watching. She had insisted that Dipper watch it with her, and he was forced to slog through ninety minutes of Dream Boy High.

Mabel had been giving him a really hard time recently, ever since she discovered his many drawings of Bill. She wouldn't let him rest for a moment without saying they should do some girly thing together, or ask him "how his boyfriend was doing," or try to give him romantic advice.

It was incredibly obnoxious... But then again, this was Mabel. Plenty of the things she did were that way.

The song was about love, and was playing on an endless loop inside Dipper's head. He hummed it almost every second, even though the tune drove him crazy.

And yet... The abomination of a song had become true for him, in a way- it was all about loving someone more than anything.

Dipper really wanted to see Bill again, even if it was just for a few brief minutes in a dream, but what the demon had said the other day still disturbed him.

Bill couldn't save him.

Save him from what? He remembered hearing talk of the "plans" Bill had coming, but nothing specific or helpful at all. He didn't know what Bill was plotting in any detail, just that it was big and dark and would change the way everything was.

But if these were the demon's own plans, why couldn't he put a stop to them? If he wanted to keep Dipper safe, it shouldn't have been that hard... Right?

He didn't know too much about the laws or rules that dream demons had to follow. He didn't know what they could do, especially not Bill. Sure, the journal had some information on him, but it was pretty limited.

Dipper remembered the one dream Bill had set up for him some time ago, where he had walked into the attic and see blue fire burn through the wheel of symbols. Was the demon trying to give him hints, or was that his way of conveying what he had told the boy, about being unable to save him from the darkness that lay over the horizon?

Dipper's brain started to malfunction. Maybe he was overthinking this a little bit.

He closed his eyes and tried to drift off. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to confront the demon. He had some questions he needed answered.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Several days passed without Bill appearing once. Dipper would enter a dream and wait for the demon to show up, but he never would. It seemed like he was actively avoiding the kid, trying to keep his distance.

But for what purpose?

Dipper couldn't quite get his head around everything that was going on. For so long, he thought he had been getting close to figuring out the big picture, to cracking the case wide open, using Gravity Falls as the key... But now he seemed farther away than ever before. It was like it had all slipped through his fingers.

Bill had always been a confusing piece in the puzzle- he didn't seem to fit in anywhere, yet was everywhere at the same time, if that made any sense at all. The dream demon didn't match up with anything else that happened, and yet Dipper knew it could all be traced back to him. He was the one making plans, the one with visions of some world-changing darkness...

Almost a week after Bill had last shown up, Dipper realized that the summer was nearing its end. It was already the beginning of August, and still he had gotten nowhere.

He decided that it was the time for desperate measures.

There was something about summoning Bill in the journal, he was sure of it. He flipped to the page about Bill and scanned it, but couldn't find a single clue about the summoning ritual.

Confused, Dipper shut the book and stared at the wall, thinking.

Gideon had the second journal before he was arrested, and had somehow called Bill to this dimension. Was the summoning ritual written down there?

He wouldn't be able to get his hands on that any time soon. He didn't even know where it had gone after the whole Gideon incident. It had simply vanished, and nobody had questioned its disappearance until now.

He needed Journal #2. It would hold the answer.

He wouldn't give up.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Bill had been watching Pine Tree from a distance for the past week. It was one of his favorite things to do, especially since the boy's thoughts right now were so entertaining. He was really invested in figuring out what Bill had meant.

The demon shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

He lurked in the shadows for a while, part of him wanting to pay Pine Tree a visit in his dreams... But he just couldn't bring himself to.

There went those stupid emotions again.

Bill resented that. He was weak, and gradually growing weaker.

Maybe... Maybe the only way to get rid of these weaknesses was to get rid of Pine Tree...

Bill had really been hoping that he wouldn't have to do that, that such action would be his last resort. It was starting to seem like it was his only option.

He was at his breaking point, about to fracture. He was one step from the edge, one slight push away from plummeting.

Sighing, the demon twirled his cane around in one hand as he hovered above Pine Tree in the attic, wondering if he should enter the kid's head.

He felt like a broken record, like every single thought and action was playing on repeat. Everything that had happened before was basically happening again.

Bill bit his lip. Last resort or no, feelings or no, he needed to talk to Pine Tree.

He descended on the sleeping boy, placing his fingertips on his temples, and found himself inside Pine Tree's dreams.

_Dipper was waiting for him, sitting down on the porch of some unfamiliar building. He walked up to the kid and sat down next to him. Everything was happening in the exact same way. History was repeating itself. It was déjà vu, in a way that redefined the term... _

_"You wanted to talk to me about something, kid?"_

_"Yeah. What did you mean when you said you won't be able to save me? What's going to happen, why is it happening, and is it unstoppable?"_

_"I'm tired of this," Bill snapped, suddenly angry. "I don't need to explain myself. But it is unstoppable. This world will be burned to ashes, and you'll be burned with it. Okay?"_

_"But-" Dipper started to reply. Bill cut him off._

_"NO. I'm done. I'm done with having to fight this. I like you, Pine Tree, but the apocalypse is coming, and I don't want to be crying over your grave when all this is over. I can't let myself bow to these stupid emotions." _

_The irate demon stormed off, leaving Dipper speechless and utterly shocked. _

_What had just happened?_

**Sorry this one was pretty short. Like I said, I'm kind of having issues with creativity at this point... Anyway, Chapter 9 will be posted next week. Thanks for reading this awful chapter. **

**~ Three**


	9. Chapter 9: The Trapping of the Spirit

**Well, here's Chapter 9 for you... This one was a blast to write, and I'm sad that this is going to be ending** **soon, even though I am satisfied with what I've got planned so far. I don't really have anything else to say regarding this chapter, but I'd like to invite you all to vote on my next story again. As of when this chapter is going to be published, I've only received one vote, and would like to hear what you all think I should do next, because I honestly have no idea**.

**Let's get to it!**

**~ Three**

_Tick, tock._

Bill paced back and forth in the attic of the Mystery Shack, muttering to himself, fingers tapping nervously on the handle of his cane.

His pocket watch had started ticking more loudly recently, beginning the countdown to the end of the world. His prize, the greatest one of all, was just over the horizon-

Which meant that the number of days he would still be able to be with his Pine Tree was running short. Time was slipping away from Bill, and he knew it.

Bill had left a message some time ago for the mortals, that "the end of the world is closer than the end of the summer." Were they still so oblivious? Had they not figured out his code?

Breathing an overdramatic sigh, Bill stopped pacing and let his cane slip out of his hand and onto the floor. He stared at the reflection of the room in the mirror on the dresser, seeing no sign of himself except the telltale shadow on the back wall.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock..._

"What do I do...? Argh, the one thing in the universe that I don't know..." Bill held his head in his hands, exasperation starting to creep in and making him lose control.

Bill was snapped out of his worried thoughts when the door to the attic opened and Pine Tree walked in. He made his way across the room and flopped down on his bed, resting his chin in his open palm and staring straight forward, practically right at Bill.

The demon came closer to the preteen, gazing into his chestnut eyes. He bit down on his lip, feeling his heart wrench and tears start to collect in the corner of his single eye.

"I know you're there," Pine Tree said softly, making sure no one else would hear him. "I don't have to be able to see you to know you're there... But I'd appreciate it if we met in the mindscape."

Bill smiled in spite of himself, snapped his fingers, and emptied the world of its color.

_The twelve year old sitting before him seemed to light up just a little bit, but barely smiled. _

_"Hi," he said sadly, extending his arms and wrapping them around Bill, pulling him into a weak embrace. "I missed you."_

_Another tug at Bill's heart, another gentle smile. The dream demon returned the hug, running his fingers through Dipper's hair. He didn't speak. He was afraid that if he spoke, he would start crying, and he didn't want to have to deal with that right now._

_"Listen, Bill... I- I-" The boy's voice started to break, and his grip on the demon grew tighter. Before either of them quite knew what was going on, Dipper burst into tears. He buried his face into the front of Bill's coat, sobbing and gasping. He fell apart right in front of the demon._

_Bill sat down on the bed beside Dipper and pulled the boy into his lap, leaning his head against his chest and stroking his hair. "Don't worry... I've got you... I'm here..." _

_Dipper continued to cry, letting everything he had kept bottled up inside of him for so long gush out in one big flood. Bill held him close, showing no sign of the snarky, masochistic monster he had once been in Dipper's eyes. _

_Even when the kid had cried until his tear ducts were dry, Bill didn't let go. He savored the comforting warmth of Dipper's body snuggled up against his, trying not to replicate the boy's actions, letting himself get lost in this moment..._

_For he knew it would be one of the last. _

_"Pine Tree... I'm here for you... Until the bitter end..." Bill tilted his head down and planted a kiss on Dipper's forehead, letting his lips linger there for a few moments before pulling away. He kept his arms encircled around Dipper, trying to be as reassuring as one can be when they know the world is about to fall into darkness._

_I can't lose you," Dipper choked out, his voice shuddery and overwrought with distress. "I love you..." He clutched Bill's gloved hands desperately, as if he was holding on for his life. _

_"I love you too, kid. I love you more than the entire universe and all the secrets it holds." _

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_"This is nice." _

_"Mhm." It really was lovely. This was a great way to spend one of their last days together. _

_The two boys were sitting on the same park bench where Bill had apologized to Dipper what felt like ages ago. The younger was leaning against the older's side, eyes shut. The demon had his arm draped around the boy's shoulders. _

_"How's my little Pine Tree doing?" Bill asked as he played with a lock of Dipper's hair, twirling it around his finger. _

_"I'm fine, Bill. You don't have to keep asking."_

_"Yes, I do. I want you to be perfectly happy for the rest-" He cut himself off, not wishing to head in that direction right now. Why couldn't he just let this be?_

_Sure, all good things must come to an end..._

_But this didn't have to. Not yet. _

_In one swift movement, Bill swept Dipper off the bench and held him bridal-style, starting off down the hill the bench was perched on top of. _

_"Where are we going?" _

_"You'll see," Bill responded. He received an annoyed look from the preteen._

_"You know... I gave you a sign- really more of a warning, actually. You should've picked up on it, being as smart as you are. And no, I'm not talking about my plans or the impending apocalypse. I'm talking about you. So come on, take one last guess- what was my motivation for doing all those things that I did, before I realized they were wrong?"_

_Dipper thought back to his previous meetings with Bill. Other than the incidents with Gideon and then the puppet show, he couldn't recall any mention of Bill's motivation other than the slight hint. _

_"Uh..."_

_Bill laughed a little bit. It echoed, resonating through the air, haunting and melodic. That wasn't quite normal for Bill. _

_The demon didn't stop walking, but placed a quick kiss on Dipper's cheek. "It's because I like you, kid! Don't you remember me telling you that?"_

_"I thought you were just using that to trick me into making a deal," Dipper said, looking up at Bill._

_"Well, it was genuine. So congratulations to you for being one of the only mortals worthy of my affection. You deserve some applause." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly several pairs of disembodied hands appeared around them, clapping. Dipper yelped and pressed up against Bill's chest a bit more, eliciting a giggle from the demon. He snapped again, making the hands disappear as quickly as they had come. _

_Dipper glared at him, punching his shoulder. "Would you cut that out?" _

_Bill snickered. The kid was so cute when he was angry. _

_"WELL, here we are," Bill announced loudly, stopping and standing still. Dipper looked around. It just looked like any normal part of the forest._

_"Yeah, so what?"_

_"So... This." Bill set the boy down on the ground, muttered something in Latin, and flicked his fingers outward. A nearby tree caught on fire. The flames flickered, a rich turquoise color, reaching towards the darkened sky. _

_One by one, the trees surrounding them lit up like torches, all different hues, ranging from violet to golden. They produced trails of spark and smoke that resembled fireworks, only much more brilliant. _

_Dipper gasped, somewhat awestruck, and gazed up at the night sky that was being painted with fiery color. Bill sat down beside him and enveloped him in a hug._

_"Do you like it?" Dipper just nodded, staring at the light show with wonder in his eyes. Bill grinned and rested his head on the kid's shoulder._

_"Little parting present... For you." _

_After some time, the bursts of light gradually slowed to a halt, leaving the demon and the boy in the darkness of the night. _

_Bill gave Dipper one last little squeeze before vanishing, leaving him to the rest of his dream._

When Bill exited Pine Tree's dream, he couldn't help feeling everything that he had managed to shove away for the one night come rushing back to him. The pocket watch was clicking away the seconds, loud enough to drive him mad.

His time was limited, extremely so, and he was working himself farther and farther into a trap. It really would be fatal, this attraction- fatal to Pine Tree, and fatal to Bill.

Because the demon was excellent at putting on facades, little shows to trick the mortal eye, but he was beginning to break. Insanity unlike any he had experienced before was rooting in his infinite mind, shattering him from the inside.

Bill had to end this... Now. Before anything could change his mind.

Including himself.

He'd let the child have one more day, and then he would put a stop to this before it brought him to his knees.

He was too far gone to care about the consequences, and about how his little Pine Tree would feel about this. He may have been omniscient, but he was being blinded by this desire to abolish these deadly feelings.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock... _

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_This dream was completely different. Instead of one of the many intricate, gorgeous landscapes Bill had created in the past, this was just a room. The room had no doors, no color, and no furniture other than a square table and two chairs in the center of it._

_Dipper was sitting in one of them, and Bill was across from him in the other, on the opposite side of the table. His hands were clasped together, elbows resting on the table._

_A mechanical ticking noise was emanating from somewhere inside the room, bouncing off the walls and reverberating through the empty space. It was a penetrating sound that seemed to bore little holes inside Dipper's very being._

_"What are we-?" Dipper started to say, until he was silenced by a gloved finger on his lips. Bill shushed him, but didn't say anything or make any other noise. _

_The whole situation made Dipper incredibly uncomfortable and anxious. Bill was staring at him with a great intensity, his singular, icy eye reading Dipper's thoughts like an open book. _

_In a flash, Bill went from calm and collected to absolutely mad. He shoved the table aside with the slightest motion of his hand and advanced on Dipper, shoving him backwards until his back slammed into the wall. _

_"Bill, what are you doing?!" Dipper screamed as the demon's hands flew to his throat, applying pressure and shoving his neck further back against the wall. Dipper started to choke, gasping for air as Bill tightened his grip. _

_Azure fire spread up from the dream demon's fingertips. The searing flames licked at Dipper's neck, burning his skin and causing him to cry out. _

_Soon Bill's entire body was engulfed in the fire. It blazed with almost as much fury as his glare. _

_"DON'T YOU SEE?! I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS... I can't love you... I need to get rid of this... I intend to burn your reality to ashes, and I can't allow myself to love you if I am ever going to succeed... So today, death welcomes you." _

_The demon continued to clutch Dipper's neck, nearly choking the life out of him and getting closer by the second. Dipper coughed, trying to speak. _

_"How is it... Any better if you're the thing... That kills me? Don't demons feel guilt? Wouldn't... That be... Worse?" _

_Bill's narrowed eye widened in sudden realization, and he disappeared, letting Dipper slump to the ground. Dipper flew into a wild coughing fit, hacking and cloying for breath. He felt bruises and burns already beginning to form on his neck. _

_The boy was on his hands and knees, trying to force air back into his lungs. A tear slipped out of his firmly shut eyelids and ran down his face, dripping on the bare ground. _

_Tick, tock. He still heard it. _

**As always, please comment and let me know what you thought. **

**Catch you guys next time, with the grand finale. I'll have it up by next weekend. **

**~ Three**


	10. Chapter 10: Thanks For The Memories

**Well, here we are, at the end of the story.**

**It's been a great run. I've never published anything before I joined this website. Feedback and the knowledge that people out there are reading my story and awaiting more with anticipation help motivate me to do the best I can. **

**Now it's time for Fatal Attraction to come to a close... I hope you enjoy reading the grand finale!**

**~ Three**

There was nothing harder that Bill Cipher had ever had to do before, in his hundreds upon thousands of years of existence. He had faced so many challenges, and he even thought that apologizing to Pine Tree would be the hardest thing he would ever have to do.

But that wasn't the way the universe worked. It made you think that the worst was behind you, and then it would spring a trap and you'd be caught, completely unaware that anything was wrong until you were captured.

Bill had been completely, hopelessly unprepared for this. Sure, he had always had a little soft spot for Pine Tree, but it had never been anything like this.

This childish love was new, and it swept Bill off his feet in more ways than one.

Everything was usually expected for Bill. When you can see everything, you tend to know what's coming your way. But this? This was something he hadn't been able to foresee.

And now this swirling storm of emotions was battering him from all sides, stretching every little fabric of his being until it was frayed and worn. Most thought he was insane before then, but now he was truly broken.

Bill stared at the shadow that was his reflection in the mirror that was a part of the dresser in the Mystery Shack attic. He was still in his human form, tall and thin, clad in gold, with his one icy eye.

He felt that eye twitch ever so slightly. His fingers followed suit.

He was coming undone, unravelled. This mortal had much more power than he could have ever conceived. To shatter a demon like this, especially one who ruled over others' minds and knew all? That was truly unique.

But now was not the time to revel in the glory that was Pine Tree's incredible uniqueness. Now was the time to put a stop to it.

This world had to end. Who said that Pine Tree shouldn't end with it?

Bill thought back to his actions the previous night, when he had almost choked the life out of the boy with his very own hands. He groaned and slouched forward, gripping onto the top of the dresser for support. Guilt... Guilt was one of the worst emotions to come.

The demon glanced back up at the silhouette in the mirror, but remained still. Everything seemed silent and peaceful for a brief moment...

Before that same maddening ticking noise started up again.

Bill ground his teeth together as the sickening sound continued, growing louder and louder, swelling until it filled the air with a deep, penetrating pounding. Bill clutched the sides of his head and pressed his palms over his ears, trying to drown out the noise, but it was relentless.

Bill saw cracks spread across the reflection on the surface of the mirror. The shadowy version of him wavered and shook, then literally fell into pieces before him, the silhouette breaking into shards.

And that was it.

Bill let out an ear-piercing scream that cut above the ticking. It ripped through the demon's throat painfully. He whipped the pocket watch out from his coat, snapped the chain in half with one swift yank, and threw it across the room. It smashed on impact with the wall, little gears and springs flying all over the place. The remains of the machine fell to the floor in the corner of the room.

Bill sunk to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks, holding his head and trying to catch his breath.

He was gone. He was broken.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Each minute seemed to crawl by, and each hour felt like an eternity.

Dipper slept whenever he could just to escape the dreadful lull of reality, where time seemed to have crept to a near standstill. He would shut his eyes and drift off into a dreamless sleep, which never seemed to help speed things up.

It was like the universe had frozen in place and caused the world to stop spinning.

Customers came through the Mystery Shack as usual. Stan led them through on the tour, Wendy "worked" at the front desk in the gift shop, and Soos did odd jobs around the building. Mabel was nowhere to be found, which wasn't surprising, but was a bit disappointing. Dipper felt like she would make things a lot more interesting. She always seemed to brighten up a room.

So Dipper dragged himself through the endless days, and almost all of the everlasting summer season. In almost no time at all, he and Mabel would be headed back to California.

When had it all gotten away from him, and why had it slowed so suddenly?

Was this Bill's doing, or was this just a groove his brain had gotten into?

Regardless, it was almost painful to have to go through life like this.

Dipper thought for a while about the whole situation, with Bill nearly strangling him the other night. He had been so confident that things just might be alright, what with the demon's reassuring attitude and the pleasant dreams that he gifted to Dipper. But now it was like he had lost his infinite mind, and had somehow become even more insane than he had been in the first place.

But Dipper didn't get it. Why was Bill beating himself up so much over this?

Suppressing a yawn, Dipper trudged out of the Employees Only area and into the gift shop, trying not to think too hard.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Mabel finally reappeared that evening, offering no clues as to where she had been. But Dipper didn't ask. He figured it was none of his business, and he wasn't really that concerned anyway.

But she certainly seemed to be. When she burst into the attic, loudly announcing her return, she discovered him laying on the floor and staring off into space.

Mabel was almost always positive. She seemed to constantly have a smile on her face, and it was usually contagious. Today, however, her normal infectious joy was not present.

"Hey, Dip, what's wrong? You don't look so good." She dropped down onto the floor next to him, hugging her knees to her chest.

Despite his best efforts, Dipper had completely overthought his current dilemma with the demon. He hadn't stopped thinking about it all day long, and was still running over the same old thoughts.

Heaving a sigh, Dipper sat up and looked into his twin's worried eyes. "I don't know, I've just been kinda stressed lately..."

"Aw, you can tell me anything, bro. I'm here for you." Mabel gave him a caring smile and set her hand on his shoulder.

It was times like this when Dipper really appreciated having a sister.

He took a deep breath and went back to the start.

Dipper explained everything, from the nightmares to Bill's attempt to kill him in the mindscape. As he spoke, he watched Mabel's expression shift from mortified to ecstatic to sorrowful several times. When he finished, her face was drained of color. She stared at him with wide eyes, then pulled him into a crushing bear hug. He could hear her softly crying into his shirt.

"Oh, Dipper... I'm so sorry..."

Dipper patted Mabel on the back and let her cry until she was done. She shuffled away from him and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, sniffling.

"Well," she stammered, "I r-r-really hate to tell you this, Dip, but t-t-this might n-not be something we c-c-can fix... I mean, you really can't stop doomsday once it's set in motion, can you?" Mabel looked up at her brother, pain swirling around her features.

Dipper felt a catch in his throat as that comment sank in. When Mabel said that there wasn't a bright side to something, then it really was shrouded in utter darkness.

"Yeah, but-" Dipper sighed and looked down at the floor. "Oh, I don't know... I was just hoping that there was something we could do about it. I mean, I know things are bad if both you and Bill say that there's nothing to be done, but... I don't want to lose hope, not yet."

"Hope can be hard to find, Dipper," Mabel said, one solitary tear rolling down her cheek. "I know I make it seem like it's always bright, and shining, and right within your reach, but the fact is that usually life takes more than it gives. Sometimes there's no way to keep it from doing that, and sometimes the only way- the only way is to just give up."

The twins both sat there for a few moments, then locked each other in a tight embrace. Dipper felt Mabel's hands gripping the back of his vest tightly, her fingers digging in hard. He didn't care, though, and he hugged her back with all of his might.

Sometimes it felt like they were alone in the world...

In a world that would soon cease to exist.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

Dipper rubbed his forehead and sighed quietly. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this...

He was feeling confident that Bill was watching him. Maybe he was even listening in on his thoughts, but if he was, it wouldn't matter. This was something that Dipper needed to say, for his own sake, even if Bill didn't need to hear him speak to know it.

Dipper inhaled deeply, trying to say something.

"Bill? Bill, if you're listening to this, which I'm sure you are, pay attention. I've got some pretty important things to tell you...

"Look, I know that the apocalypse is just over the horizon, and I know that the thought of that makes you happy and proud. You've been working towards this for much longer than I've been alive, and much longer than Gravity Falls has even been on the map.

"But... I also know that it makes you scared, and that it's more than you've ever had to deal with before. You're not good with emotions. You don't understand them, and don't know how to keep them under control. And you let them be manipulated by the love of a twelve-year-old boy."

Dipper paused, looking around the empty attic, praying silently that Bill really was listening.

"That love has been slowly infecting you, unwinding you, ripping you apart... And now you've finally given in. You've finally fallen. It's taken you under. But you know what? You aren't alone, Bill... You aren't alone. I'm here... And I'll be here until the final day..."

Dipper snapped at that moment. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed- but this didn't stop him from talking.

"Bill, I love you. I love you more than life, more than anything, and I would give anything for you to be happy. So please, just one more miracle, for me... Just come back..."

He couldn't speak anymore. He was broken, just as broken as Bill himself.

The demon was, of course, standing directly in front of Dipper. He had been watching the whole thing from the security of the mindscape, and had started sobbing just as Dipper had.

Bill sat down on the bed next to the boy as they cried, trying to get a grip but failing miserably. He took hold of Dipper's hand and pulled him into his plane of existence.

_When Dipper saw Bill appear beside him, he turned to the demon and tried to force a smile. It just came out looking like a horrified grimace, and brought on another onslaught of tears. _

_Bill raised Dipper's hand to his lips, pressing the back of it to them softly. "I love you too... You know that, right?"_

_Dipper nodded, but said nothing. He leaned against the demon's shoulder and continued to cry. _

_He felt Bill's hands caress his hair and clutch him tightly. Despite how fantastic it felt to be held close like this, Dipper couldn't deny that the same weight he had felt at the beginning of this was settling itself on top of him once again._

_He was going back to the start, back to a time when he honestly wished that he would rather just end his life than have to suffer through it._

_Bill knew it, and he felt the exact same way. But he was immortal, and the images of the future would never go away, so there was no escape from him. _

_He had been slipping into insanity, and this was the final push over the edge. _

_He couldn't stay. He vanished into thin air, forcing Dipper to wake up and sending a whole new wave of pain crashing over both of them._

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

There was nothing left, not a single ray of sunlight amidst the black of the endless night. There was not a single spark of warmth to be found in the freezing cold of the permanent winter that seemed to plague Dipper's very soul.

It seemed to rain each day, forcing everyone to remain indoors.

Not that Dipper wanted to go out. He hadn't gotten out of bed for nearly five days, except to go to the bathroom. He hadn't had more to eat or drink than the few bites and sips of water that were forced down his throat by either Stan or Mabel. He hadn't spoken in that whole time.

There was no point in getting out of bed. There was no point in continuing. Dipper had nothing left to give, and he would end where he began, enclosed in depression and a relentless sense of impending death.

Things weren't much different for Bill. He wouldn't do anything except linger around the rafters of the attic, trying to cope with the barrage of images he saw with every passing second.

Stan and Mabel decided to take Dipper to the doctor on the sixth day since he had spoken. They had simply taken him out of his bed and shoved him into the car.

He didn't fight back. He didn't even make a sound, he just kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

The doctor made the other Pines family members use an IV to get food and fluids into Dipper's body, since he refused to ingest anything. They were happy to oblige, to do anything that might help the boy.

But he was beyond their help. He was lost.

As the humans were all scrambling around like lunatics trying to coax Dipper out of this depression, Bill was constantly checking the clock. He became frantic and panicky, anxiety overrunning sorrow. There were only a few more days left...

And he needed to act. If he thought this was bad, there was no way he could possibly handle what it would be like for him after Dipper was dead.

Bill knew that there was only one thing left for him to do, and it wasn't to get rid of the kid himself. No, he was past that. That was unreasonable, illogical, and just plain stupid.

This wasn't the nuclear option, but was something Bill had seriously hoped wouldn't have to happen. Drastic times called for drastic measures, though, and Bill was beyond desperate.

So he would make himself forget. He would erase all recollection of these toxic feelings from his memory, so that he could proceed through the apocalypse without a care.

It was entirely possible for Bill to do this. Sure, it would take a lot of energy... But it was worth it. This was the one way he could put himself back together, even if it still meant that Dipper would fall apart.

~~~TIME SKIP~~~

_"Dipper...? There's... There's something I need to tell you..." Bill seemed to be stumbling over his own words. However, he was silently weeping but otherwise completely straight-faced. _

_Dipper looked up at him, his eyes filled to the brim with penetrating sadness. He was sitting cross-legged beside the dream demon, on a large cliff overlooking a vast ocean. _

_"I've finally realized that there is more that I can do to fight this, and without killing you. There's one_ _more option for me, and I am more than willing to act this way than to suffer anymore. Kid, you and I have been through so much... Because of each other, and this deadly, blind ambition known as love. But I can't do this anymore if I am to make it through the apocalypse. If it's hurt me this much just knowing it's almost here, how bad will it be when it's actually upon us?"_

_Bill turned to face Dipper, grasping his hands and resting his forehead on the boy's. He shut his eye tightly and tried to slow his breathing and his heartbeat. _

_"I... I've made a decision... I'm going to make myself forget."_

_"What?!" Dipper's sudden exclamation made Bill jumped. The child sounded beyond scared, beyond shocked. _

_"I can't bring myself to kill you. I'd never be able to live with myself. I can't commit suicide, since I'm an immortal demon who belongs to the mindscape. This is the only way for me to get past this. I'm sorry."_

_"No, no, no, you can't do this. Please, don't. Please." Dipper's voice was becoming more and more panicked. He grabbed the sides of Bill's head and forced the demon to look into his eyes. Something inside him wrenched when he saw the tears residing there, and he felt identical ones spring up. _

_"You're all I have left..." The boy smashed his lips against the demon's roughly, desperately, trying to cling onto his last tether to sanity. Neither backed away, not for a long time. _

_When they did, Bill tried to speak. It came out as a cracked whisper. _

_"I-I'm so s-s-sorry, Dipper... I know this won't h-help you, but I c-c-can't continue l-l-like this... Maybe... Maybe we can start over, in another life... In another universe... One where we'll have more time..." _

_Bill shoved Dipper off of him, forcing the kid to land on the ground hard. The dream demon pressed his fingertips to his temples and began chanting something in an unknown language. It slowly became louder and louder until Bill was practically shouting. _

_Dipper scrambled to his feet and tried to run to the demon's side, but he collided with something invisible and fell again. He knelt on the ground, pounding his fists on the wall that divided the two of them, hysteria overtaking him. _

_"NO! STOP IT! BILL, PLEASE! STOP IT! YOU CAN'T!" Dipper screamed at Bill until his throat was raw and each word ripped through it and burned it like acid. He sobbed, pleading with the demon to stop, but he wasn't listening. _

_Bill's single eye rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the ground._

_The dream shattered around them._

Dipper shot upright in bed, screaming as loudly as was possible. The attic door flew open, and Stan and Mabel rushed into the room, worried expressions on their faces.

"Dipper! What's wrong? Are you alright?" Mabel sunk down so she was at eye level with him and took his hand. He was shaking and gasping, his hands and forehead slicked with cold sweat. He was still sobbing, his heart torn to shreds and his entire body feeling weak and lifeless.

Bill was gone. Bill wouldn't come back.

Bill wouldn't remember.

Dipper felt nothing anymore.

When the fire and the shadows came, he let them take him away. He let them take him back to the start, where maybe, just maybe, he could find something better.

~EPILOGUE~

A wicked, twisted smile curled the corners of Bill's lips upwards, and his eye burned brightly with cobalt fire.

The sounds of screams and the images of the world below being destroyed ran through Bill's mind, causing a great pride to swell in his chest.

Finally, after hundreds of thousands of years spent working, waiting, watching... Finally, his plans were complete.

His vision of a nightmare world had come to pass, just like he always knew it would. It was truly glorious. It was the dawn of a new era, in which he reigned supreme over this dimension and was feared by the inhabitants of all others.

As Bill surveyed his work with great glee, he couldn't help feel a slight pang of... Something shoot through him. What was that? It certainly didn't feel right.

Puzzled, Bill opened his eye, returning from his viewing of the universe being demolished and reappearing in the mindscape of its closest neighbor.

This was what he had wanted all along. This was his greatest achievement, his greatest prize, and he should have been enjoying the sweet, sweet taste of the most ultimate victory...

If he finally had everything he had ever wanted, then why did he feel so empty inside? It was like there was a void, a gaping chasm that had appeared inside of him, like something was missing.

But what was it, and why did it hurt so much?

Bill shook his head to try and clear it of these thoughts, resuming his little show.

It ate away at him, melting him from the core.

It gave no signs of what it was that had been lost.

It intended to stay hidden.

It hurt.

**Please comment and review on this chapter, and don't forget to vote on my next story! I've only received two votes so far, both for different things, and I need a tiebreaker. **

**I've had so much fun writing this story and hearing what you all think of my work. I love you all, and I can't wait to see you next time around with a brand new story. **

**Catch you later!**

**~ Three**


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